Eric and Pam's Excellent Adventure
by Lubstarr
Summary: Let's travel through time with our favorite maker/child duo, Eric and Pam!
1. Turning Pam

**A/N: Welcome to the newest project from LubStarr productions. This fic will trace the long history between maker Eric Northman and his favorite petulant child, Pam Ravenscroft. But don't get the wrong idea, this is by no means Lubadub's or seastarr08's story. This story belongs to everyone. Each chapter will be written by a different author. If you are interested in tackling a moment in time, send a PM to this account or give either Lub (lubadub_) or SS (seastarr08) a shout on twitter. There are already several chapters claimed by some kick ass authors in some really interesting time periods. We've chosen 1785 as the year of Pam's turning, since no specific date was ever named in the books. Other than that, we're trying to stick to canon.**

**This first chapter is written by Lubadub and explores the vaguely discussed by Charlaine Harris of Pam's turning. If you want the SVM version, check out chapter 7 in All Together Dead. **

**Beta'd by chiisai-kitty**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended. This is just for fun!**

**Eric**

**1730**

I rose as the sun slipped past the horizon on the island of Santorini, relishing the silence I would have for the next hour. Every waking moment I had spent during this past month with Delilah had been tortuous. She was itching to get away. Every child needed to break away from their maker after a period of time. Some stay longer than others; I've heard of children stay for nearly a century, and others who could barely stand to serve for a few years. Delilah and I had spent the last thirty years together, all of them happy.

I had found her in Venice. She had flaming red hair, and the fiery temperament to match. She was destined for execution for murdering her husband. It was what drew me to her. He had been sleeping with a local barmaid behind her back, and when the wench gave birth to a baby boy that looked just like him, she drove a knife through his heart. She laughed as she stood over his dying body, cursing him out in Italian for being a cheating whore. I fell in lust instantly. I turned her a week later.

But that was then. Now, she can barely stand to look at me. We've been traveling a lot recently, mostly due to her temper getting the better of her. She's been killing every man she touches, even though she knows better than to leave bodies behind. She's rebelling. She wants her freedom. But I will not grant it to her until she asks. If she is so afraid of me that she cannot pose a question, then she is not ready to be on her own. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm completely in love with her and will be miserable without her.

I felt her the moment she rose; our bond being flooded with despair and anguish. She joined me on our balcony, where I was watching the waves roll in and out. Tonight was different, there was some other emotion coming through. Ah, yes, determination.

"Eric, release me. I want to be on my own. Please, if you truly love me as much as you say you do, you'll grant me the one request I ask of you."

I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the sea. It was a comfort that took me back to my human life; a life spent on Viking ships sailing the waters of Scandinavia. It was the only source of any peace I felt.

"So be it. But remember the lessons I have taught you. And stop the unnecessary killing. I know it was only you acting out against me. You should consider yourself lucky. In most cases, a maker would stake such a petulant child. I should have brought you your final death after the first slaughter back in Crete."

"Why didn't you?"

Because I love you more than any other woman I've encountered in the seven hundred years I've walked this earth. "You're too special to destroy. Go, you are your own vampire now. Leave my home. I will not call to you unless your presence is direly needed."

"Thank you, Master."

"Call me by name before you go? I need to hear you say my name one last time."

But she was already gone.

**1785**

I had been a shell of my former self for too long. It was time to return to glory. I had purchased a home in London and had taken to throwing lavish parties, inviting the height of the aristocracy. I was quickly on my way to becoming the toast of the town. No one seemed to notice that I never ate nor drank at my own feasts. Or that one lovely lady would disappear for some time each night while I drank her blood in a private chamber. No, this was a time of blissful ignorance. It was a time it made it almost too easy to be a vampire.

I encountered the young blonde at one such event. She was beautiful, yet had a sharp edge. She stayed away from the noble boys; she wanted nothing to do with them. She interacted with those far below her social class, much to her father's dismay. She was crass, independent, and unapologetic. I knew instantly she'd make the perfect vampire. The life she was forced to live would end up driving her mad. Only through death would she truly ever feel alive.

I used my superior hearing to listen to those conversing around her. I learned her name was Pamela, and the boy who was courting her affectionately called her Pammy. By the roll of her eyes every time it left his mouth, I could tell she hated it, and most likely, hated him. After a few whispered moments, she and another girl wandered to talk quietly away from the crowd. I noticed her father, a man who had the same sharp features she did, was keeping a close eye on her. I approached him so I could learn more. Though I couldn't read minds, I could glamour him into telling me anything I needed to know.

I gleaned that she was currently not betrothed, but not from his lack of trying. He told me she had a wild streak that caused men of their class to shy away from her. Men wanted a submissive wife, not one who would question their every word. She was determined to be her own woman, something that was unheard of in this time and place. I didn't mind so much; I liked a woman who was more than a vacant, mindless, sack of flesh. She had to be mine.

I began following her every night. She liked to climb down the vine covered trellis outside her window at night and sneak off to the taverns to meet her friends. She was a sight to behold when she was allowed to be herself, unlike at my dinner party. Her smile beamed, especially when she was knocking someone down a peg. She had a quick wit and a sharp tongue that would serve her well in her new life by my side.

It was after a week of reconnaissance that I made my final decision. She was visiting with her best friend's cousin again, a boy she called Matthew, and he was close to convincing her to run away with him. She left this night slightly disappointed, as she had for the past week. The young man refused her sexual advances, saying he'd rather wait until they were married. I knew from the smirk on her face that she thought otherwise, and had so in the past. With a little push towards liberation, she'd be a sexual deviant, willing to try anything once, yet another good quality to look for in a child. My new experiences were forced upon me; hers would be welcomed with relish. It had to happen tonight.

**Pam**

I snuck back through the barren hedge, not looking forward to climbing the trellis again in my heeled shoes. I prayed I didn't run into anyone; my corset was on crooked after a particularly unsatisfying round of kissing, my hair was definitely a disaster. I stuck to the shadows created by the massive trees when I hear a twig snap. I turned, gasping in fear that I had been caught by one of Father's guards and saw him. He was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life.

His long, blond hair was blowing in the gentle breeze, a passive expression gracing his handsome features. He wore the dressings of a nobleman, every article of clothing tailored exquisitely to his body. He was tall, taller than any man I'd ever met, and this I was judging from some distance. I wanted to know what his voice sounded like, especially when saying my name. I imagined it would roll from his tongue in the midst of a sexual tryst.

"Good evening, Pamela. I've been watching you for some time now. And I must say, I'm quite impressed."

His voice was even better than I imagined. It was accented slightly, but from where, I could not tell. It had tones that I'd heard when visiting Paris and some I'd never heard before. Perhaps Scandinavia. He had an air of danger around him. For the first time, I felt afraid, yet still sexually charged.

"What do you want with me? Have you come to kill me?"

"In a sense. But I've also come to deliver a great gift to you; the gift of immortality. If you want it, of course."

"I don't understand."

"Allow me to rephrase. I'm offering you the one treasure no other man could. In my power, I hold the key to your freedom."

"Are you proposing marriage? My father would never accept, especially given the circumstances."

I took a glance around the garden, illuminated in places by the large, full moon. I heard a wolf howl in the distance, and couldn't help but want to get inside as quickly as possible. When I turned back to face him, he was standing mere inches in front of me. I tried to move away, step back from him, but he reached out, grabbing me around the waist, pulling me flush to his body.

"What I am proposing is much more permanent than marriage. My patience with you is growing thin, Pamela. Do you want your freedom, or not?"

I closed my eyes, trying to still my spinning mind. I tried to imagine the path my life would take without this mysterious stranger. My father would choose someone dreadfully boring for me to marry and I would lead a life of misery. Or I could run away from it all. Take an adventure with the most gorgeous man in all of London, if not, the world. The decision was far easier to make than I'd ever thought possible.

"Yes."

"Shall we retire to your bedroom? It will give you a chance to pack your things."

His eyes were staring straight into mine and I felt my mind go blank. I suddenly felt compelled to invite him into my home. "Of course. Won't you come in?"

It was then I saw his smile, his canines extending. My eyes grew wide, a feeling beyond terror sweeping through me. I tried to scream, but his hand was over my mouth as soon as his fangs slid into my throat. It was just like me to make the wrong decision. Only this time, it cost me everything. As my world started to go dark, I whispered a prayer to save my soul. It made me wish I'd actually paid attention in church instead of fantasizing about the unwed boys in the congregation.

The last moment I remember is being placed delicately on my bed, a kiss grazing my forehead, and a promise of his return.

**Eric**

I returned to her grave site three nights later. I had left her dying body in her bed for her parents to discover the next day. It would be easier for her to disappear if everyone that knew her thought she was dead. She was buried quickly; two days after our encounter in the garden. It takes three nights for the transition to occur in our kind, so I knew I had some time to rescue her from the confines of her coffin. Breaking out of the wooden box is quite difficult for a newborn vampire, and proved to be quite traumatic for my earlier children. I had learned my lesson with the Delilah; I removed the coffin from the ground and reburied the body in the softened dirt. The repeated tilling of the soil made it incredibly easy to make it to the surface.

I waited patiently next to her grave, the young man she had been entertaining on the night we met unconscious at my feet. Her bloodlust would be screaming by the time she emerged. I thought it would be a nice touch for the first human she saw as a vampire to be the last human she saw while she was alive. I'd glamoured him into following me to the cemetery then knocked him out so I wouldn't have to worry about him getting away while my attention was on Pamela. I had no doubt after our last exchange that she'd have questions. It was enough to make me hesitant about my decision to change her. I didn't want to have to deal with her insolence for an eternity.

The ground began to move and I saw the tips of her fingers breaking the surface. Just as with baby birds, it is best to allow the newly turned to pull themselves free; it established a stronger sense of self-efficacy. I watched her struggle, willing her through the bond I now felt humming through my entire being to work a little harder and faster.

Soon enough, she was standing before me, wearing the simple gown she had been buried in. Just as I had assumed, her fangs were bared at the smell of the boy at my feet. And judging by the look of horror on her face, I was also right in thinking I'd be answering a slew of questions.

"What are you? What am I? What has happened?"

It appeared that she was near tears, heading towards the hysterical. She was certainly in for a shock if she allowed those tears to fall.

"I am, as you are, a vampire. You have died a mortal death and your body has been reanimated by my ancient blood. You were in the ground for three nights and have now been reborn."

"I don't understand. What is a vampire?"

"You are now an immortal creature of the night. You will sleep during the day and hunt at night. We sleep underground to avoid the sunlight, which will surely bring upon your final death. You will feast on the blood of the living. Speaking of which, here, a treat for you."

I kicked the limp body towards her, which she quickly attacked. I guided her fangs towards the boy's neck, grinning in satisfaction at how quickly she took to feeding. I remember my first feed was a disaster. Ocella almost staked me out of frustration. I had refused to believe what I had become. I was brought out of my musings by Pamela's grunt.

"It's empty and I'm still hungry." Such detachment. I was amazed. She looked down at his face, for perhaps the first time, realizing the source of her nourishment. "Ah, Matthew from Bristol. You serve me well in death, as you attempted to do in life. What should I do with the body?"

I smiled at her, knowing she'd be the perfect vampire, if not the perfect child. "Bury it in the grave you just emerged from. No one will question the disturbed ground of a fresh grave. Allow that to be a lesson you carry with you always."

"Yes... sir? You realize you never told me your name?"

"You will call me Master. Perhaps in time I will allow you the pleasure of calling me by name. But, if you must know, I am known now as Eric Northman."

She started to move the body into the hole in the ground, asking me questions the entire time.

"How long ago were you made vampire? Am I really going to live forever? Will he become a vampire, too? Can we head into town after I bury the corpse? Beatrice will have a fit when she sees me now. She's my closest friend and will be overjoyed to know of my newly found freedom. Is this good enough? Is he buried deep enough?"

I didn't even know where to begin. "We'll have many nights to discuss my history, or whatever part of it I chose to share with you. Yes, you will live forever, as long as you avoid sunlight, silver, and stakes. No, the process of turning a human into a vampire is more complicated than simply draining. No, I will not tell you how to do it now. No, we will not be heading into town. We will be heading towards York. I have several connections there. You will never see your friends or family again, hence our leaving London. They think you are dead, and it will remain that way. It's safer for all involved. If you're done being a nuisance, we'll be on our way."

She sat down in the dirt for a moment, going over all the information I had just given her. Again, her eyes welled up with tears, but she took a deep breath and shook them away.

"Why does it hurt to breathe?"

"Because vampires do not breathe. For now, taking deep breaths like that will be painful. It is in your best interest to mimic the motions of breathing for now, lest you rouse suspicion. Humans tend to be curious of creatures that sit perfectly still. Stick to shallow inhales and it won't hurt as bad."

"Oh. So, we're leaving for York?"

She seemed to be handling this better than I anticipated. I was afraid a woman of her social class would be terrified in this moment. But that just proved to me, yet again, that this creature was not like the others. She was different, in possession of the vital spark that determines whether a young vampire survives through the centuries or meets the sun at an early age.

"Yes. I have a carriage waiting at my residence. We leave immediately."

"Do we have time to have sex first? I really want to have sex with you."

My eyebrow lifted at her crassness. Oh, yes, most certainly not like the others. It didn't hurt that she was amazingly beautiful, and the physical opposite of Delilah. Even though I'd never admit I turned her to fill the void my child left when she walked away. It would appear I was entering my blonde phase. My tastes changed as the decades did; from blondes, to brunettes, to redheads, but never men. Not after my experience with Ocella.

"Consider that another lesson of the night. There's always time for sex. Come here."

**Pam**

He opened his arms, and as the words left his mouth, I felt compelled to walk towards him. It wasn't my mind making the decision to approach him; it was my blood needing to be closer to him.

"What is this I'm feeling?"

"It's my command to you. As your maker, you must do as I say. Until the day I release you, any command I give you must be carried out as I order it. Now, come here."

My blood tingled again, urging me closer. I did not need any other push in that direction. I wanted him to rip my clothes off and take me. I wondered if sex would be more enjoyable with a vampire. It had to be better than my past experience that was for sure. As I stepped into his embrace, we took to the sky in a blur of motion I couldn't follow. I knew my feet were no longer on the ground, but my mind could not accept the idea that I we were flying. It all came to a stop just as suddenly as it had started.

"You can fly?"

"Yes."

"Can I fly?"

"No. It is a skill only elder vampires tend to develop. It is a gift for having the stamina to last as long as I have."

I stomped my foot and pouted. His expression made it clear that having a temper tantrum would not change anything. Once I regained my bearings, I realized we were behind a building I had visited before. Taking in my surroundings, it all became clear.

"I was at this place just last week for a dinner party. You've been studying me? Was I some sort of experiment for you?"

"Experiment? No, I have made other children in the past. But I have been watching you to see if I should turn you. Are you thinking over the past few nights, trying to remember having an extra set of eyes on you?"

I surely was. I couldn't remember ever seeing him beyond that night of the party, but there had to be something there.

"We ran into each other one night at the tavern. I bought you a pint and you called me a pervert for staring at your breasts. I simply stole the memory from your mind."

"You can do that?"

"Just as easily as you can. We call it glamouring; it's a simple form of mind control. Humans are very easy to manipulate. I'll teach you once we reach York. Hurry, if we want to reach our destination by dawn, we must leave now."

He guided me towards a carriage where his belongings had been stowed near the front of the building.

"How come you get to bring your things, but I couldn't stop at my home for mine?"

"That was your old life. It's time to start fresh. You'll need an entirely new wardrobe to fit your new circumstances. At times, you'll need to look like an aristocrat and other times, a pauper. It's all about how to best blend it to not arouse suspicion."

The driver opened the door for us, and took off immediately. I thought about what he said for a moment before turning to face him. This was a new beginning for me. There were no more rules, no more Father, just me and Eric.

"So I can do whatever I want?"

"Within reason. Though, I wouldn't recommend slaughtering an entire village for the fun of it. I've done it before, it's incredibly tiring. Oh, and you must always do as I command. You must never disobey your maker."

So much for doing whatever I wanted.

"I feel as if I could drink the entire city of London dry. I'm so hungry."

"That will fade over time. You must learn to control the bloodlust, or it will control you. Think of something else and it will pass."

"You said we could have sex. Will that help the time and the hunger pass?"

He ripped my dress open with one pull, splitting it right down the front. He gave me a seductive smile, with the tips of his fangs digging into his lower lip. When I first saw that smile, I was terrified. Now, I was beyond excited.

He opened the front of his pants, revealing the largest length I've ever seen. He grabbed my waist, pulling me into his lap, and impaled me in a motion so fast, if I hadn't been a vampire, I wouldn't have been able to follow it. It felt exquisite to have him inside of me. It wasn't my first time having sex, but I'd never been on top before. His hands on my hips set a demanding pace, but it was the finest pleasure I've ever felt. Between our hard, fast movements and the motion of the carriage along the road, I was feeling so much, too much to handle.

My world exploded as he slipped a hand between us, rubbing my clit with expert fingers. I grabbed on to his shoulders, crying out towards the heavens as the most incredible feelings ran through me. No one had ever made me feel this way during sex. I figured out that I had a lot to learn from my maker, and not just in the bedroom. This was only the tip of the iceberg. There was so much I didn't know, but I was excited to experience it with Eric. I hoped he would be a patient teacher, as I had a tendency to push buttons.

We fucked the entire ride to York, in every position known to man, and some that were only known to vampires. I had never been so thoroughly used in my life, yet I was still craving more. We righted ourselves in the carriage to the best of our abilities, considering the extent to which our clothes were torn. He led me into a simple home, where he used his mind control to convince the family living there that we were welcomed guests. We fed on them; Eric teaching me how to control my urges and how to stop after only taking a small taste. It was difficult at first, but he had a good point. If you don't kill them, you can keep using them as a food source without having to glamour the entire town.

As he tucked us away in a darkened underground room, I couldn't help but ponder what exciting adventures were in store for us. He had explained that some children stay with their makers for some time, but even after they are released, they still seek their maker's company from time to time. The world was now my playground and I couldn't wait to have fun.

**A/N2: So there you have it, the first taste of Eric and Pam's Excellent Adventure! Thanks to all the authors who have already expressed an interest in participating. Have we intrigued you yet? Have a kick ass idea of where Eric and Pam could meet up? Some of the time periods already claimed are the French Revolution, Woodstock, and the opening of Fangtasia. Happy Writing!**


	2. Paris 1790

**Hi folks! This is the Seastarr08 contribution to this project (Well, the first of at least a couple)! I hope you enjoy, and if you want to contribute, please drop either Lubadub or myself a DM! We'd love to have you play along!**

* * *

**1790: En Route to France**

**Eric**

We'd stowed away on a ship bound for Paris the night before, after I received a letter from an old acquaintance inviting me to come for a visit. I'd received news of the Revolution about a year ago, when the Bastille was first stormed. I knew that just like many conflicts before, the Revolution would likely prove a time of great revelry for the European vampire community, as well as give many savvy vampires the opportunity to acquire great wealth and assets from the unfortunate human upper class.

I'd known Sophie Anne for nearly three-hundred years. She was fun, but despite her childish appearance, she was also a conniving, manipulative, evil bitch if you got on her bad side, which I hadn't done. However, she was fun, and the time had come to introduce Pamela to some other vampires besides the few that had passed through the Leeds area, where we'd been most recently.

Pam was the perfect companion, and had most certainly acclimated to vampire life far better than I had in the beginning, as far as I could recall. Sure, she still had her moments of bloodlust, but because she was quite small, I was able to easily contain her. She'd drained a beggar a few months after I'd turned her and a boy when she first rose from daytime rest once, but those were the only instances where she'd really lost control. She'd come close on occasion, but a simple reminder from me usually did the trick.

She'd picked up Swedish rather quickly, as it was the closest thing to my native tongue, and saying we were Swedish afforded us the freedom to be viewed as eccentric in rural England. We traveled around quite a bit, feeding and glamouring, and giving Pam something new vampires were rarely afforded, the opportunity to adjust without the pressures of greater vampire society, and the temptations of the city. I had always preferred smaller cities if I was on the move, because the vampires you ran into didn't have the same hedonistic tendencies as those that lived in nests.

I hated nest dwelling. I'd been forced into it for a couple of centuries with Appius, in Russia. When he'd finally released me, I swore to avoid it for the rest of my nights. There were times, of course, when it was necessary for protection, but I much preferred to be solitary, or have one companion as I did now. I glanced over at Pam, laying on my shoulder, who was in downtime. I flinched slightly, and she came to.

"Are we there?"

"I can smell the stench of France, so we should be there within the hour."

We got off the boat, a ghastly ship called the Valkyrie of all things. Quite undeserving. I hated seeing my culture exploited.

"So I'm to call you Master, when we're around others." It wasn't a question. She already knew the answer.

"Yes, and you are to remember your place." I looked at her. "Do not force me to command you. It shows a great deal of disrespect."

She nodded. "Yes, Master."

I pulled her to me and kissed her. She was a bit tense, but I felt her relax slightly. "Not when it's just you and I."

She looked up at me. "Are they all like you and I?"

I laughed. "No. The vampires we are visiting are quite unlike us. Sophie Anne is extremely eccentric, and her children, well, they have a rather different relationship than the one that we have. Also, like I can fly, Sophie has the ability to communicate with her children telepathically."

She pouted like she always did when this topic arose. "Will I have a gift eventually?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps."

"When?"

"I don't know. It's not predictable." I looked into the sky. About an hour until dawn. "We need to go to ground."

"We won't meet Sophie Anne tonight?"

"No. We'll leave at first dark. Let's find a barn with a cellar." After walking away from the docks, we flew until we were in the French countryside. There were barns aplenty.

I surveyed the area for possible dangers. The night was still and quiet; most of the pitchfork wielding farmers had made their way to Paris to take part in the revolution, so I felt we'd be safe. I tucked my child in to a huge pile of hay in an abandoned barn, then undressed and crawled in beside her, burying our luggage beside us as well.

I awoke first, as I always did, having nearly eight hundred years on her. So we could begin our journey, I uncovered her, as she was coming to.

"Pamela, we have to get moving, so we can make Paris early enough for some fun." I grinned at her, and shouted as she tackled me into the hay. She was strong, for one so young, and small in stature. "Oh you want to play rough do you?"

"Always, Master." She looked at me, her eyes twinkling, as she straddled me, still clothed in her corset. I growled low, as she wrapped her hand around me, using the perfect amount of pressure. Sex was second nature to Pam. She needed very little direction, even in the beginning. She hissed at me, as I ripped her corset off, and impaled her on my waiting cock. Pam loved a good fuck in the evening.

I watched her move on top of me, her face skewed in ecstasy, as her pert, firm breasts, preserved in all their glory for eternity, bounced, as she worked me faster and faster. I came as I felt her spasm around me, crying out curses in my long dead language. Like the lady she was, she climbed off of me, and stood, with her perfect posture, as she straightened her hair. "Will there be humans to feed on there?"

"I'm certain there will be. Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"We'll find you a meal before we get to Paris. I don't want you famished when you greet our hosts." There had to be a farmer around here we could glamour into a meal. I often forgot that she couldn't go as long as me without feeding. Not that she let me forget.

She nodded, as I laced her into another corset. We discarded the one I'd destroyed, and were on our way. We dressed like peasantry, although with Pam's aristocratic features and mannerisms, there was no mistaking her for lower class.

"Do I look presentable?" She looked up at me.

"You always look presentable. Just remember yourself around her. She's not like the other vampires you've encountered. She's quite unpredictable."

Pam nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Save your questions for when we go to ground and I will answer any you might have."

"How do I address her?" She bit her finger, staining her cheeks with blood to give them a little colour, as I'd taught her.

"You don't. Not until she addresses you. Let me do the talking until then."

She gave a small smile. "Yes, Master."

We arrived in Paris, at the address that Sophie Anne had given me around 9 p.m. I knocked, and the door was immediately opened by Wybert. At least I thought it was Wybert. I had a hard time telling him apart from his brother, Sigbert. "You are here to see the Queen?"

The Queen. Of what? Paris? France? Europe? I tried not to show my disgust for the title she'd given herself. Her conceit knew no bounds. "I'm here to see Sophie Anne LeClerc."

"She is expecting you." He opened the door, and led us through a parlor, and then down a flight of stairs to a lavish library. "Mistress, your guests are here."

Sophie Anne emerged from the stacks of books, wearing a gaudy gown that any peasant would have her head for wearing during these times. "Eric, darling." She strolled up casually, and kissed both of my cheeks.

"Sophie Anne. What a lovely apartment."

She laughed. "Well, let's just say the former owner thought so as well. So much so, that he was willing to let some stupid peasant dismember him for it."

"How have you managed to remain untouched by the squalor around you?" I questioned her, as she ushered us further in to her grand apartment. When we passed through the library, we entered a huge study, the walls covered in very fine art, procured from very illegitimate sources, I assumed. Sophie Anne always did like possessions.

"It's amazing what a great deal of glamouring can do. Andre has been storing surplus wealth for us in the countryside. If anyone comes by, we convince them we're as poorly off as the rest of them. She chuckled, and turned her attentions away from me. "Eric, your child is exquisite." She purred at Pam, who responded somewhat shyly, for Pam anyway.

I'd noticed over the past couple of years how Pam had responded to the attentions of women when she fed; a stolen glance here, a gentle caress there. She'd resisted the sexual urges I knew she had, because there were parts of her that were clinging tightly to her humanity, and her convoluted ideas of right and wrong that were bred into all proper ladies of the era.

Sophie Anne noticed as well, brushing the hair off of her neck. "She's very aristocratic Eric."

I watched somewhat hesitantly, as Sophie Anne led her to the chaise in the center of the room and sat down beside her, her hand still in hers. "Now dear, do tell me your name?"

She whispered, "Pamela." She knew she wasn't to use her last name, unless she was dealing with humans.

"My my, Northman. You have her well trained. Darling, would you like a meal?"

She looked to me for permission, and I nodded. "Yes please."

Sophie Anne looked up, and in seconds, Andre, her favoured child appeared. "Fetch the Countess." She stroked Pam's cheek. "She's delicious. A favourite of mine. Eric, sit down." She nodded at the decadent armchair across from them.

I shrugged and took a seat. "So tell me Sophie Anne, what did you request my company for?"

She grinned at me, her pearly white teeth gleaming. She had huge fangs. It was almost unnatural. "Now, you don't want to ruin the surprise already. You both just got here. Let's get your lovely child fed. Was her skin this luxurious before you turned her? I bet it was." She stroked her cheek. Pam shook, but not from fear. My child was aroused.

I wasn't surprised. Sophie Anne was very sensual. I'd been enthralled by her a time or two, centuries earlier. Sex with Sophie Anne was vampiric at its best. Rough, bloody, animalistic. I'd gone back more than once. I watched as she continued caressing Pam, trying to see how far she could push her, before she reacted. Pam held her ground though, and heeded my warning. If she was going to explore her Sapphic side, she'd be wise to do it with someone a little less domineering than Sophie Anne at first, if she wanted to enjoy it anyway.

After about fifteen minutes, Andre returned with a beautiful pale human woman, of very good breeding, with a thick head of dark, curly hair, a heart shaped mouth, and an incredibly curvy figure. She looked like something out of a Renaissance painting, except she was unfortunately clothed. I doubted she'd stay that way for long.

"Eric, Pamela, this is Brigitte. Say hello to our guests Brigette."

She'd clearly been glamoured, as she curtseyed to us. "Bonjour. Welcome to Paris."

"Brigitte is the daughter of a nobleman, who has ties to the king. Aren't you?" She winked at me. I humoured her, and winked back. "Her father was killed in the storming of the Bastille, I found her wandering, lost and alone. Isn't that right Brigitte?"

"Yes, Madame Sophie."

"Now, come sit over here on my lap, so we can have a taste." She patted her knee, and Brigitte came to sit on her lap, placing herself between her and Pam. "This is Pamela. She's from England. Have you ever been to England?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, when I was young."

Sophie Anne looked at Pam. "You can have the first taste. She's exquisite. Don't drink too much. There's more for later."

It wasn't that we had a hard time finding people to feed off of, but I preferred not to keep humans around for feedings in the way Sophie did. It wasn't something Appius encouraged. Humans walking around with holes in their memories, and their necks, was a sure way to get discovered.

Pam brushed the hair off of Brigitte's neck. "May I?"

Brigitte smiled, a stupid smile. "Oui oui."

Pam kissed her neck softly, before biting down. I watched the sated expressed on her face, as she drank deeply. After she'd had her fill, Pam pulled away.

Sophie applauded. "Such restraint for a young one. You've trained her well Northman. Could you be convinced to part with her?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Pity. Run along, Brigitte. We'll fetch you a bit later. Unless you want a bite Eric. She's..."

"Delicious. Exquisite. I know. Yea, I'll have a taste."

"Go give Eric a nip before you go."

The brunette smiled sweetly, and positioned herself on my lap. She had magnificent breasts. I brushed a hand over them, before whispering in her ear. "I'll come find you later." Despite the fun I was having with Pam, I did enjoy a warm body just the same. She giggled, and then moaned, as I bit into her neck. I took considerably less than Pam, telling myself I'd have more later, from a feeding site I vastly preferred.

I helped her up, and she disappeared down the hallway. Sophie smiled at us. "Wonderful. Now that you're both fed, the real entertainment can commence."

I smelled the fairy long before Andre dropped her before us, her wrists bound in iron. In a second, Pam was on top of her.

"Pamela!" I pulled her off, and held her close to me. I could have killed Sophie. Pam had never been exposed to fairy before, and this one was full blooded, or incredibly close to it. "She can't be around a full fairy. I can hardly be around her." Pam was struggling against me. "Stop, Pam."

Sophie Anne pouted. "She was a surprise. I thought you'd enjoy her."

"I'm not going to kill a fairy. Don't you remember last time you killed a fairy? You brought down the wrath of the entire Brigant line on your head, and mine, and most of the other vampires in Europe."

"We can just drink from her. We don't have to kill her." Yea. That was like asking a room full of opium addicts to just look at the seeds. Unimaginable.

"Pam will kill her. You know how new vampires are with fairies." I argued with her, no matter how much I wanted to suck that fairy dry. She was young, and her blood smelled like nothing I could ever describe. Valhalla.

"Command her to sit it out. We'll feed then." She glanced at Andre. "We've been waiting days for you to arrive." Her eyes clouded over, and I assumed mine shared the same expression.

I sighed. There was no saying no. Not in her house. I fucking wanted some fairy, more than anything. "Pamela, I command you to sit on that chaise."

She looked at me, hurt through her fairy haze, and pleaded with me. "Master. Please."

"I'll give you a taste." I nodded at her. "I command you to sit."

Blood tears streamed down her face. The damage I'd done wasn't just about the irresistible fae blood. I'd embarrassed her in front of other vampires. I'd make it up to her, somehow. I wasn't the kind of maker that got pleasure from degrading their child. It was necessary though, if we were not going to kill the fairy by accident. "Yes, Master."

"Good girl. I want first bite." I looked at Sophie, who nodded her approval.

The fairy girl was blond, with the lightest blue eyes I'd ever seen. Her eyes pleaded with me to spare her the indignity of being used as a chew toy, but I was powerless to stop myself. I knew it would take all my restraint to pull away once I started. I kissed her neck, and she quivered, with fear. "I won't drain you. I'm very old."

"What about them?" She glanced at Sophie Anne and Andre, whose fangs had run out. Pam was practically shivering on the chaise.

"I have done all I can, reminding them of the damage that was done last time. Are you a Brigant?"

"Yes." She whispered, as I bit into her neck. She moaned, in pain, as this was most certainly not pleasurable for her. I didn't know if I had the restraint to fuck a fairy without draining them. That smell, all over me, would be overwhelming. I withdrew my fangs after a few pulls, and walked over to Pam and kissed her, filling her mouth with a mix of fae blood and my saliva. She kissed me hard, taking in every drop she could.

"Thank you." Pam whispered, as I took a seat beside her.

Sophie Anne approached the fairy, a feral look on her face. If too much blood was spilled, I wasn't sure I'd be able to contain Pam, not in a manner that was dignified anyway. Her eyes had glazed over.

"Sophie Anne, we will take our leave for the evening."

"You're still fucking her? Years after you turned her?" She eyed me curiously.

"Oh, you know me. I'm one for attachments. Where are our quarters?"

"Down the hall. You're in the third room on the right. We sleep in beds in France."

"How sophisticated of you. Thank you, for a lovely introduction to Paris. We'll look forward to tomorrow."

"Indeed." She grinned, before kissing the fairy girl deeply.

I walked Pamela down the hall, my hand in hers, to keep her from running back to join Sophie Anne and Andre, and the fairy. "You did well."

She looked up at me, her eyes still disappointed. "I think I could have done it."

"You are only five years turned. You wouldn't have been able to resist. I know I couldn't let you do that, but how about something else instead."

She perked up. "What?"

I smiled, and opened a door, a few before ours. I'd heard her in there, humming to herself. Brigitte. "Her. You can have her."

"Another meal?" She smiled. "Thank you."

I shook my head. "No. She's yours to pleasure."

Pam looked at me, a bit shocked. "I don't know."

"Let it go Pam. All your human morals. I saw the way you looked at her, and Sophie Anne, out there. I can give you, direction, if you'd like."

She looked me in the eye, and then her fangs dropped down. "Brigitte, would you like to come with us for a bit?"

She looked at me and then at Pam. "Yes."

"Good girl."

Pam looked to me, and I nodded, as she reached for the girls' hand, and helped her off the bed. Pam stood with her nervously as I opened the rather opulent suite Sophie Anne had arranged for us.

I laid back on the chaise, as Pam looked at the beautiful, bountiful brunette before her. She wouldn't be the only one that enjoyed this.

"Undress her." I grinned, still slightly stupid from the fairy blood I'd just taken in. Pam smiled softly at me, as she used her vampire speed to release Brigitte from her corset. "Now, Brigitte, you help Pamela with hers."

She nodded, and before long, both women, with their alabaster skin glowing, Pam's a bit more than Brigitte's, stood before me. They were a bit opposite, with Pam's small figure and Brigitte's curvy one, which made what was about to come even more enchanting.

"Pam, now you know how you like to be touched. Remember though, that she's human." She nodded. "Now I want you to do that to her. Look at her breasts. They're fantastic. Put your mouth on them." I had to remember that most of the sex Pam had been having since she was turned was with me, and would likely maim a human.

Pam backed the girl onto the bed, tentatively moving her hands up her stomach, and onto her breasts. It was kind of amusing, because Pam was usually not at all passive, when it came to me and sex. She was out of her element, and it was beautiful in a way. Maybe I was just high. She took one nipple in her mouth, while gently pinching the other. Brigitte let out an encouraging moan. "Good girl."

She glanced over at me. "Are you content, just watching?"

"For now." My fangs had clicked out ages ago. "I've had my fun." For now.

She gave me a smile, as she pushed the girl up onto the bed, and straddled her lap, her breasts pushed up against hers. "She's so soft."

"As are you. Are you going to taste her?" She looked like she had a good diet, and her blood had been delicious.

She looked conflicted. "I don't know."

"Think about how much you enjoy it."

She nodded, tilting Brigitte's chin and bringing her mouth to hers. She kissed her softly, at first, and then a bit harder, moving her tongue in sync with hers. Pam slid a hand between the girl's legs, and I felt myself grow even harder than I already was. I shifted slightly, as Brigitte let out a deeper moan, as Pam moved her mouth back to her breast, and thrust two fingers deep inside of her. Brigitte's hands then went to Pam's breasts, and things started getting more interesting. I slid a hand down my pants, taking in the show before me.

After what seemed like hours of gratuitous grinding, Pam finally went for it, pushing the girl back on the bed, and gently licking her thigh.

"Touch her as you bite."

She glanced up at me, a crooked smile on her mouth, before she took my advice, stroking Brigitte's thighs and then running her fingers along her center, as she bit into her thigh.

The girl came. Hard. She cried out in ecstasy, as Pam drank, taking a much more restrained drink than I would have at her age, and relocated her mouth, gently teasing her clit with her tongue. I thought about joining in at that point, but decided to hold off a little longer, letting Pam have her fun, as she made her come again.

When she had finished, Pam stretched out on her back, a satisfied smirk on her face."Now, it's your turn."

Brigitte nodded, and moved her face between Pam's legs, lapping up everything Pam had to give her.

I'd waited long enough. Brigitte's warm thighs called to me, aching to be grabbed as I thrusted into her. I quickly undressed, and did just that, as she continued to go down on Pam. She was so warm, and I could tell Pam shared my sentiment, as she moaned at the sensation of her warm tongue on her.

I leaned forward, biting Brigitte's neck, and then Pam came, followed in quick succession by Brigitte, and then me. We collapsed in a pile on the huge bed. We laid there for a while, our two cold bodies sandwiching her warm one. "Was that good Pam?"

The satisfied, sleepy smile on her face said it all. It also told me that dawn was approaching.

I shook Brigitte, who had fallen asleep. "Time to go."

There was no way I was leaving the door unlocked here. I didn't know what the day brought in Sophie Anne's home, but I was guessing being locked in was the safest way to be.

Brigitte looked at both of us, naked in the huge bed, gathered up her clothing, and smiled. "Good night."

"Good night." I said, gently rubbing Pam's back. "You were wonderful."

Her glamoured face smiled. "Thank you."

When she was gone, I got up and secured the door, moving a dresser in front of it, just in case. "It's almost dawn."

Pam nodded. "This is really it. There's no going back."

I knew she wasn't talking about her field trip to France. She was talking about her humanity.

"Nope, there's not. Only forward." I kissed her forehead, and tucked her in, crawling in next to her, under the heavy blankets, although it wasn't necessary. I liked the weight of the blankets. It was familiar, from the cold winters when I was a human. "I'll see you in the evening."

She kissed my cheek, in a rather human way. "Sometimes, I'm unsure about all of this, but I'm never unsure about you."

"Then I've done my job."

I awoke first, as usual, and watched her sleep for a bit, her lips turned up in a slight smile. She jumped me, as she usually did, and we fucked against the locked door for hours, before Sophie sent a couple of new donors down, and we fucked them too. Pam always did like sex first thing in the evening.

We stayed with Sophie Anne for another couple of weeks, before moving south. On maybe our third night there, Pam asked my permission to spend the evening with Sophie Anne. I gave it, and went off with a lovely redhead named Madeline instead. While I fed and fucked, I monitored Pam's emotions, prepared to intervene if anything went awry, but she seemed to be enjoying herself.

When she returned to the room we were sharing close to dawn, I cracked a smile. She was a fucking mess, her usually perfect hair askew, her eyes wide, and her dress torn.

"I don't have to go down the hall and stake her, do I?"

She shook her head. "No, but if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stick to human lovers for a while."


	3. Louisiana 1817

**Another chapter! This one by the amazing Saritalex, the author of The Heights, and the Sequel! Seriously, you need to read. Go, now, come back to this. **

**Remember, anyone can play, so send us your ideas!  
**

* * *

1817 - Louisiana Territory

The sailing ship slowed its way up to the port of New Orleans. The ship's captain hadn't appreciated my original request to dock at night, so I had to ask again, this time with feeling. He immediately saw the benefits of agreeing with Eric Northman.

My child Pam stood on the deck with me, the salty stew of ocean water meeting inland odors in the air. She was dressed in the best of French fashion, her blond hair piled neatly above her head, woven with light pink ribbons that matched her gown. We'd been traveling for months, yet she still took the greatest care with her appearance. It was one of the things I'd learned to love about her.

Love. Yes, by now I loved Pam, my child, my partner in bed, in games, in business. Through the French Revolution and its aftermath, we had made quite a name for ourselves, quickly rising through the vampire ranks. We were now trusted emissaries of the remaining French vampire rulers, who had sent us to assess the business prospects of what had been sold by Napoleon to the Americans as the Louisiana Purchase.

"Remember Pamela," I spoke to her in tones that only she could hear. "People here still speak French as often as they do English. Please use the correct language."

Pam pushed her full lips forward in a sassy smile. "Voulez vous couchez avec moi?"

I sighed heavily. "Pamela," I said sternly. "Behave yourself or I will order you to act as my little sister. My dumb, mute little sister. That would mean, no talking, no responding, and," I quirked an eyebrow at her, "no sex."

"No sex?" She looked stricken. "Not even a little?"

"What kind of a big brother would that make me," I asked rhetorically. Thankfully, Pam only responded with an amused smirk.

"I've always dreamed of visiting the New World," Pam sighed semi-romantically.

"Really." I wondered if Pam was still capable of such romantic-seeming dreams.

"Just hearing about the Americans overthrowing King George made me wet."

Well. Not so romantic. "Really." I cast a new eye on the approaching city. "I have seen many kings overthrown, Pamela. In time, it all becomes so much noise."

"There is so much opportunity here, _non_?"

"New lands can mean salvation - or death - to our kind. The same wilderness that can protect us will also expose us, starve us. We must proceed with caution and a sharp eye."

I smiled in anticipation. "But yes, I have a feeling that many opportunities await us in this place."

We were met on the dock by a young looking vampire, with dark hair and eyes.

"Monsieur Northman?" He asked me, his eyes bright and sharp, not missing the signs of my vampirism.

"Oui?" I answered carefully.

The dark vampire bowed his head. "May I introduce myself? I am Felipe de Castro. I received a letter from Sophie-Anne LeClerq of France, introducing yourself and your enchanting companion." Felipe's head bowed toward Pam, who inclined her head similarly.

"_Enchante_, indeed." She murmured.

"It will be my honor to grant you hospitality in our fair city. Come, my servants will get your trunks." Felipe snapped a white-gloved hand and several human servants stepped forward immediately.

Pam and I exchanged looks. New vampires were always met with suspicion, not with gentility. However, a letter from Sophie-Anne would explain Felipe's behavior.

As we settled in Felipe's carriage, I asked how he knew Sophie-Anne, an ancient and powerful vampire in France.

Felipe waved a hand. "Ah. Sophie-Anne and I were lovers once many years ago during the Inquisition in my homeland- Spain," he explained. He sighed, his eyes misting in the way old men do as they recall their youth. "I was a new vampire, and had been captured by the church." Then Felipe shrugged as if tossing off the memory. "But, the Inquisition. It is not to be expected, no?"

"No one ever would expect it..." Pam said consolingly.

"I presume Sophie-Anne's letter explained our purpose here?" I asked directly.

"Ah yes." Felipe's head bobbed up and down with the carriage. "Of course the French kings and queens must take an account of their former territory. We do not have enough vampires here in the America to demand formal leadership." Felipe's face grew thoughtful, and I recognized the cold ambition in his eyes. "But one day..." He smiled, his lips pressed together. "This will be a very lucrative land."

The carriage pulled to a stop, but before I could move to open the door, Felipe's arm blocked me with lightening speed. His fangs flipped down in an obvious way.

"But let us understand each other Monsieur Northman. You are here to report, not to usurp, _si_?"

I let my fangs extend in response but made no move to assault him. I felt Pam's energy sizzle next to me and I knew without looking that her fangs were out and ready to go. It was two against one in the carriage. Felipe didn't want to fight, he just wanted to send a message.

"I am here to report to the ones who sent me," I said very slowly with menace dripping from each syllable. "And I will not take that which is owned."

Felipe and I locked eyes for one further, tension filled moment. Then he relaxed, chuckling ruefully. "A good answer, Northman. Especially since I have already told you that we do not have formal leadership here. Nothing is owned, yet it will be decided, yes?"

I retracted my fangs and set back, merely smiling coldly at Felipe, as he opened the carriage door and gallantly motioned for us to follow him.

Felipe's house stood in the center part of the city. Inside, it was richly but not lavishly appointed. The woods of the floor and furnishings were warm and mahogany and polished to reflect the candlelight. Silver and porcelain and silks spoke to the success of Felipe's business enterprises, which we soon learned ran the gamut of shipping, trading and what he termed "hospitality," which apparently meant gambling of a sort.

Felipe offered us a choice of refreshment. "I keep a variety around the house. Black, white, brown." He put an arm around the slim waist of an attractive girl with jet black hair and cafe au lait skin. "A fine Cuban for you?" He asked Pam, with the talent of a man in the hospitality business, knowing exactly what would tempt his guest.

After Pam and I partook of Felipe's servants, an invigorating change from the sailors we'd relied upon during our voyage, Felipe invited us to relax in his salon.

"I am so glad you will be here for my party on Tuesday," he said, lighting up a cigar. It was an affectation, since vampires didn't really inhale.

"Shrove Tuesday?" Pam asked, her English accent sounding a bit stronger with that term. "The captain was quite anxious to make it to shore by the beginning of Lent. He wanted to see a priest." She rolled her eyes. I really needed to teach her better manners.

Felipe nodded. "Yes, _mardi gras_, a fine French tradition. I host a party for the vampire community. It is one of the few nights of the year we can walk the streets without fear. The humans dress in costumes and with their revelry... they are so deliciously _drunk_ and..." Felipe's eyes gleamed. "...trusting."

"Is there a large vampire community in New Orleans?" I asked politely, also interested in the information to take back to France.

"About 20? 30? It is so difficult to know. We are a port town, they come and go with the river, the ships." Felipe's hand swayed back and forth like the tide. "But everyone knows Felipe de Castro's _mardi gras_ party. They will be here. You can meet everyone."

Pam and I retired to a windowless chamber for the day and the next night were treated to an educational tour of Felipe's businesses and warehouses. At one warehouse, while I was patiently listening to Felipe rant about the new American customs tariffs, Pam was idly looking at boxes. She lifted one cover and I heard a delighted laugh.

"Felipe! What is all this marvelous paraphernalia?" She exclaimed, lifting a feathered headdress out of the box.

"That is some Indian goods that one of my ships brought back from St. Louis," Felipe said dismissively. "It is worth nothing."

Pam put the feathers on her head and laughed hysterically. "You may have the boxes for the _mardi gras_, please, use them for a costume. They will be thrown in the fire otherwise," Felipe said. Felipe ordered a servant to load the boxes of Indian goods on the carriage and Pam continued going through them when we got back to the house.

"Oh Eric." She sighed dramatically. "I just wish there was a real scalp in here." Yes, Pam had a real romantic streak.

As the sun set the next day, Felipe's house was a hive of preparations. All the humans and vampires alike were buzzing with anticipation of _mardi gras._

Felipe greeted his guests at the top of a set of stairs that led up to a large salon with multiple doors that opened to a wide porch. Felipe's human servants set up a table on the street level, serving a wine and rum punch to revelers below, while his vampire guests watched from the balcony above, to pick their dessert for later.

We met the vampire community of New Orleans, finding some to be pleasant, some interesting and some boring. One in particular, a Monsieur Lestat was particularly pompous, droning on about the "wet heat" of New Orleans versus "dry heat" of other lands. When he left us, Pam muttered, "asshole." I had to agree.

As the night continued, the humans below grew more rowdy. Pam was garnering much attention from the street, as she had dressed in an approximation of an Indian maiden's costume. The feathered headdress took the place of her usual dainty hair bows. Her gown was a revealing red, cut low to almost - but not quite - reveal her pert breasts. She had painted streaks of red rouge across her cheeks and on her forehead and then draped herself with strings and strings of the Indian trading beads she had found.

A group of young human girls caught sight of Pamela. One brave one shouted, "I love your necklaces!"

Pamela yelled back, "You want one?" The girl nodded anxiously, high on the flowing rum and the thrum of the crowd. "Show me your tits!" Pam shouted.

The girl looked shocked for only a brief second, then the atmosphere got control of her. She reached up and pulled her neckline down, revealing her breasts. Pam laughed appreciatively and threw a necklace down to the girl. Her friends soon did the same thing, each receiving a token of beads with Pam's lustful appreciation.

The party below us grew, as men heard about the show, and women grew bold in the face of Pam's ferocious Indian warpaint. Pam had to call for someone to bring another box of beads, and Felipe's vampire guests were soon sated by all of the fresh necks that my child's antics and enthusiasm for "tits" had attracted.

The early morning approached, and both humans and vampires slipped away to their day's rest. Felipe came to Pam and said, "Thank you, _mon cherie._ This will be a _mardi gras_ that goes down in the history books." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

Pam graciously accepted the compliment. "_Laissez les bons temps rouler, _Felipe."

"Oooh, yes." Felipe chuckled in appreciation. "That is very good! I must remember that. We could make it our slogan," Felipe said.

A few weeks later, we had arranged a boat to take us up the Mississippi river. We toured smaller cities and settlements, dutifully recording the prospects of the region for the French vampire aristocracy. They were interested in the business prospects, of course, but I could soon see that many other vampires would be attracted to this land. Vampires lived for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The novelty of America was rare, indeed, and would be difficult for some to resist.

And of course, Pam was one who was thoroughly fascinated with all of the adventures that the river promised. From a sailor, she learned about a creature called "alligator" and it was her mission to find one.

One night the sailor took us in a small boat up a tributary and we found alligators, bathing in a pool in the moonlight. Pam and I jumped out of the boat for a better look. I crept up slowly to the nest, they never heard a thing. I was fascinated with the creature. It reminded me of the dragons and sea monsters from stories of old.

I heard Pam behind me, whistling. Who had taught her to whistle? Ladies don't whistle. Then she shouted, "ERIC!"

The alligators realized we were there.

"What is it, Pam?" I asked exasperated, looking back at her.

"I am stuck in the mud."

"And?"

"These boots were made by Monsieur Louboutin himself in Paris. I don't want to ruin them." She explained as if I should know exactly who this Louboutin person was. I rolled my eyes. Women and their shoes.

The alligators were approaching us, slowly. I knew we didn't smell like humans, but they were territorial and aggressive and we were in their territory. I knew how they felt. They were coming to attack us, which is exactly what I would have done.

"Pamela..." I warned her. "We are knee deep in alligators, here."

"Fuck," Pam said resignedly, looking at the approaching predators, her own fangs lengthening. "C'mon then, make mama some new shoes."

Six months after we had arrived in New Orleans, Pamela and I were headed back to France.

As we watched the shoreline recede, Pam and I stood on the deck of the ship, each lost in our thoughts. It was pleasant to be alone together, again.

"So that was Louisiana," Pam said, exhaustion in her voice.

"No, we don't have to come back here again," I answered her unspoken question.

"Good. I could never keep any kind of decent shoes if I lived here," she said dryly, stroking a strip of alligator skin she had dangling on her belt.

I hid a smile. "It is a desolate place, yes, but sometimes the wilderness can hold many pleasant surprises." Vampires as old as me didn't see new things often. As tiresome as the trip had been, I still was intrigued by the possibilities that I had seen.

"A desolate place that our friend Felipe would like to become king of, one day, I think." Pam said it softly, as if we were still being overheard. Maybe she was finally learning tact.

I sighed. "I have seen many kings come and go, Pamela. In time, it all becomes so much noise."

"Felipe as king would be like fucking a Parisian prostitute. You think you've had a good time until you wake up the next morning and your silver, your whiskey and your silk stockings are gone."

No, tact was not Pam's strong suit. But I was hopeful she'd learn the skill soon.

_Author's Note: As far as I know, none of these details are historically accurate, but it's fun to think about!_


End file.
